Firefox Goes Mobile

[The Conqueror]

There's no doubt that it's getting easier to access the Web on a mobile device. Thanks to the iPhone and Apple's Web browser, Safari, millions of people feel as though they finally have the Internet in their pocket. But there's still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to allow for the kind of innovation on the mobile Web that is possible on the traditional Web, says Mitchell Baker, chairman of Mozilla, maker of the Firefox browser.
Firefox for phones: Mitchell Baker is the chairman of the Mozilla Foundation, an open-source software organization responsible for the Firefox browser. The foundation is building a browser for mobile devices.
Credit: Mozilla
Baker has been instrumental in building the open-source software community that gave the world Firefox, a popular alternative to desktop browsers such as Internet Explorer and Safari. But now Mozilla has turned its attention to the mobile Web. Last October, the foundation announced an initiative to build the first, fully open Web browser for mobile devices. As an open-source software project, the browser will be built using code from software programmers from all over the world. The hope is to spur innovation in an industry that's famous for locking out software developers.
Technology Review's information technology editor, Kate Greene, caught up with Baker at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco last week to ask about her vision of the mobile Web.
Technology Review: What progress have you made since you announced a mobile Firefox initiative last fall?
Mitchell Baker: The first thing that we have done is make sure that the size and memory requirement of our code are more suitable for cell phones and related devices. We hadn't actually focused on that in the past years. We focused on building the user experience, and the [software developer] ecosystem, and making a browser that's flexible. So the performance characteristics of the code that runs Firefox are dramatically different than they were six months ago. They are equal to any mobile browser, and better than some, depending on the tests. We've done a lot of the hard basic engineering work that needs to get done.
We've also started the prototype development. There's a project called Fennec, which is another type of fox. We've released prototypes of this, not products. This is the classic Mozilla way of development: release early and release often.
TR: When do you expect a mobile Firefox to be available to the general public?
MB: We can expect to see things that the general public can play with sometime this year. I'm not sure it'll be a completely polished product, but it'll be within a range that's usable.

Source

[sganesh]

one Doubt,did firefox is there for my Sony Ericsson W300i Java phone?

[Cool G5]

I had been waiting for this

[Sumeet_naik]

Oh ya.. Hope thrs one for java too..

[goobimama]

I guess then all the four major browsers will be available on Mobile phones. Almost like a complete package.

[Sumeet_naik]

By 4 u mean ff, ie, opera and safari?

[sourav123]

I though Minimo was already there. It is made by Mozilla.

[The Conqueror]

Originally Posted by Sumeet_naik

By 4 u mean ff, ie, opera and safari?

Yeah,he means those 4,they are the major browsers of the world...

[Faun]

Why does the women hair looks like firefox hair ?

[D@rekills4]

Well this is great news!!
This surely gonna increase the fame of Firefox

[goobimama]

Originally Posted by T159

Why does the women hair looks like firefox hair ?

Maybe it is the other way round! Firefox logo branded after the woman's hair!

[D@rekills4]

Maybe because the lady is a fan on Firefox and she decided to make a hairstyle like Firefox Logo

[The Conqueror]

Originally Posted by T159

Why does the women hair looks like firefox hair ?

Originally Posted by goobimama

Maybe it is the other way round! Firefox logo branded after the woman's hair!

Originally Posted by D@rekills4

Maybe because the lady is a fan on Firefox and she decided to make a hairstyle like Firefox Logo

Mitchell Baker is the chairman of the Mozilla Foundation, an open-source software organization responsible for the Firefox browser.

[Faun]

Guess lots of ladies are enjoying luxurious position !
Jade Raymond, Stormy, Firefox lady and some others.


We should go to kitchen now...lolz

[The Conqueror]

Originally Posted by T159

We should go to kitchen now...lolz

LOL

[amritpal2489]

dis is really good news........

[cooldudie3]

Originally Posted by sourav123

I though Minimo was already there. It is made by Mozilla.

Yes, it is made by Mozilla but it is only available for Windows Mobile phones. I have tried it and it is very buggy. Slow,always crashing and useless. I hope this attempt is going to be successful.

Go,Go, Mozilla Firefox!
So far, the best one is Opera. I dunno about how FFM is gonna work out.
Safari is not exactly on mobile. iPhone and the ipod touch are the only ones. It is not on java or something like that.

[Sumeet_naik]

Even avant had a mobile browser by name Avant Go..

[naveen_reloaded]

java version ???

wake me wen it arrives

[cooldudie3]

If it doesn't have a java version, what operating system is it gonna build on? I hope it makes an SDK version for ipod touch and iphone!

[Cool G5]

^If not java then Symbian or Windows Mobile.

[cooldudie3]

I think they should make one for java too. Symbian and Java should both be made at the same time. Though Java might be slower.

[Most Wanted]

+1 for java.
most recommended.

[skippednote]

So when do we get it
and it should be workin with my n91.....

[blueshift]

..If only I had the so-called advanced mobile device!!

OperaMini runs good on my mobile but waiting for the Firefox JAVA app.

[naveen_reloaded]

Operamini is seriously top in the mobile browsing...
Even if ff launches such java version...i dont think it may be able to capture the mobile users..
Now itself there are many browsers like ucweb,teashark.. Non is as perfect in rendering the screen as o.m...

[skippednote]

The best features of opera mini are how it compresses huge websites into a few kbs in just a matter of time

FF is a best on PC but lets see wat happens when it launches till then i will keep using opera mini.

[Cool G5]

Opera has always been in forefront in browser department... Same is Opera Mini

Hoping to see Firefox giving it a tough fight

[nitish_mythology]

Will I get my extensions here??

[Cool G5]

^Maybe.